Ottawa will make public today its response to the new tariffs imposed by the United States on Canadian vehicle and steel exports. Trade tensions between the two neighbors have escalated following the suspension of bilateral negotiations on a new trade agreement.
Të lidhura
None found
Canada’s measures come after US President Donald Trump announced new tariffs on imported Canadian goods. The decision was made public just days after talks between the two countries were suspended, while Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney had rejected a deal he deemed unfavorable to Canada.
US tariffs of 50% on imports from Canada, valued at around $20 billion, took effect on Saturday. Canada has already announced countermeasures of the same value, which are expected to be implemented on September 8.
The confrontation took on a new dimension after Trump declared that, starting January 1, 2027, tariffs on vehicles, trucks, auto parts and steel would be raised to 50%.
“Canada has been stealing from the US for years. We will no longer treat Canada as if it were a state!” Trump said, reiterating his claim that Canada should become the 51st state of the United States.
“We don’t need Canada; they need us,” the US president declared, accusing the northern neighbor of being among the worst countries in the world in which to do business.
The Canadian ministers responsible for finance, industry and labor are expected to present Ottawa’s official position on the new US measures today at 16:00, Greece time.
The Canadian government claims that the US demanded too much during the negotiations and offered too little. Mark Carney has stressed that Canada would not accept a trade agreement with the United States “at any price” and “at any time.”
According to Carney, Canada had been negotiating a new comprehensive trade agreement for more than a year. However, during this process it was concluded that the US proposals would put key sectors of the Canadian economy at risk.
“The Americans wanted to destroy our major industries, including the automotive, steel and aluminum sectors, with unfair proposals. That is one of the main reasons we said no,” Carney said.
The United States is Canada’s largest trading partner, with around 70% of Canadian exports going to the US market.
A poll conducted over the weekend suggests that most Canadians support their government’s position. Around 76% of participants expressed support for ending trade negotiations with the US, while 62% said they backed the retaliatory measures being considered by the Carney government.
